Forum Network is a site from PBS and NPR that’s created a new series about promoting civil discourse, particularly in the wake of the shootings in Arizona. They sent me an e-mail asking me to check out the site and promote it if I thought it was something I liked, and I do like it quite a bit. Although I think I am genetically pre-programmed to like anything that NPR or PBS does. According the their site, they provide:

Lectures that examine the challenges that freedom, democracy, and human nature bring to bear on reasoned political discourse and debate in our country.

While there are great issues facing our nation, American Democracy is organized around the central principal that open, fair and truthful debate, characterized by respect for opposing viewpoints is essential to a healthy democracy. We are committed to the values of respectful discourse — embracing civility and rejecting demagoguery — in government, media and our personal lives.

“There can be no high civility without a deep morality.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is as noble a mission as I can think of and the content on the site is high quality as well. And this ties in quite closely with what I was saying in my previous post about Sarah Palin’s target list. Again, not that Palin had anything to do with the assassination, but the level of discourse in politics right now needs to be examined.

One of the more interesting things I watched over on this site was a video discussing all the wrong reporting from the MSM during the afternoon of the shooting. There was a big question of whether it was more important to be the one who got there first or who was right — I think it’s difficult. With blogging I think it’s easier to present facts as tentative, and they don’t do that as much on Cable News. Still, when everyone wants instant information is it your duty to get the right information while people wait, or to give the best information you can so that people aren’t guessing the wrong thing?

In any event, go watch some of the videos. Tell me if any are really good.

Gabrielle Giffords is a Democratic representative from Arizona, who was reportedly shot in the head today at a political event in her hometown of Tucson. There are rumors, but no official word on whether she has survived yet.

What I’d like to point people to is something that is in incredibly bad taste, and was in incredibly bad taste before this shooting. It is a list of targets, all marked with gunsights, that Sarah Palin released recently calling for Americans to “Take a Stand”.

I’m not saying that Sarah Palin called for the murder of this woman and we don’t know if the assassination was politically motivated — I am saying that the militant right wing of this country uses some very violent and dangerous rhetoric. I’m saying that using the word “solution” and showing a picture of rifle crosshairs with a list of “Targets” is a horrible idea.

Will the right wing learn its lesson and stop using such militant language? I hope so. I imagine a shit storm is about to fall on Sarah Palin and I almost feel bad for her. And I really hope that Gabrielle Giffords survives, that this wasn’t politically motivated, and there are no copycats.

EDIT 5: Giffords office was broken into and vandalized earlier this year and there was also a man with a gun at one of her earlier campaign rallies.

EDIT 6: Andrew Sullivan posts in response to the event, which I will pretend had anything to do with the email I sent him.

For a public figure who has appeared on a national ticket and who commands a cult-like following, the irresponsibility is even more profound. And so one reads the following sentences from the Arizona Wildcat last September with the blood draining from one’s face.

Palin Reloads; Aims For Giffords

Earlier this year, Palin drew sharp criticism for featuring a map on her web page riddled with crosshairs targeting Democrats in vulnerable congressional districts. Tucson’s Gabrielle Giffords is among the 20 Democratic incumbents whom Palin intends to use for target practice.

And we get a screenshot from Sarah Palin’s Twitter feed:

EDIT 7: Sarah Palin has removed both the target list and the above tweet from her accounts and website. There you have it — what’s that law of the internet that says when you try to remove something from the internet it only gets bigger? (The Streisand Effect)

EDIT 8: The congresswoman is out of surgery, they are optimistic as they can be under the circumstances, she was shot “through and through” on one side of her head. I hope she makes it, it is truly horrifying.

EDIT 9: Accused shooter is being named as both Jared Laughner and Jared Lee Loughner. The second name has youtube and myspace accounts, which reveal him to be a very strange guy who is obsessed with grammar, it has anti-government stuff, ramblings about the gold standard, revolution, atheism or antitheism or just not liking God (not clear) and major paranoia about mind control.

EDIT 11: I just want to be clear here, even if the shooter pointed to that hit list or tweet or whatever and said that he was doing this for Sarah Palin, it would not be Sarah Palin’s fault. He’s a nutcase, a crazy person, who did a crazy thing, and that is all on him. I just think that politicians and public figures should be looking at their violent language and question if it’s in good taste or terribly wise to say things like the things she has said.

EDIT 12: ‎(202) 747-1812 is the number for SarahPac. If you believe it was wrong for Sarah Palin to put crosshairs over Giffords’ district given the situation that occurred today, dial the number and let Sarah know your thoughts.

EDIT 13: According to @maddow “Pima County Sheriff says department is “actively in pursuit” of a second suspect — 2nd man not a shooter.” And “Pima County Sheriff says AZ shooting suspect is “unstable”.” Describes second man being sought as “a person of interest”.

EDIT 14: Bomb squad called in to investigate suspicious package at vigil at Giffords office. The gunman’s gun was bought legally in AZ a few weeks ago. Tucson Tea Party Leader has no intention of changing the tone of their rhetoric. The Sheriff thinks that this is the result of violent rhetoric, and they are looking for a second suspect. And the MSM in Tucson is covering the SarahPAC target list.

EDIT 15: Witness Joe Zamudio says he helped bystanders subdue the Arizona gunman as he was trying to reload. Holy crap. It could have been worse.

EDIT 16: KSAZ-TV is reporting Congresswoman Giffords is awake, recognized her husband and spoke to people in her hospital room.